


Amortentia

by GilbertsMangoes



Series: Tales of Dramione [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Potions, Two Shot, dramione - Freeform, lighthearted ish, sorting hat is the ultimate shipper
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:33:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26014177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GilbertsMangoes/pseuds/GilbertsMangoes
Summary: Hermione and Draco strike up a friendship in eighth year, but what happens when potions class has bigger plans for them?
Relationships: Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Theodore Nott/Pansy Parkinson
Series: Tales of Dramione [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1888141
Comments: 10
Kudos: 75





	1. Part One

Hermione had always loved the library. The cozy warmth of the place, the scent of fresh parchment, the comfortable hum of hushed whispers and the flipping of pages, it was music to her ears and a song in her heart. 

More over, it distracted from the horrors of life. From the nightmares that flashed her mind each night, Bellatrix's psychotic laugh ringing through her head like some sort of sick tune that she couldn't shake. From the pang of seeing Ginny and Harry progressing along just fine in their relationship, balancing each other out perfectly, and more over, why she and Ron couldn't be the same. All Ron seemed to want to do was snog(and more, though she always stopped it) nowadays. When he wasn't trying to snog her, they were arguing. She loved Ron(she thought?) but she needed to get away from all that. A good book provided her with it.

Draco loved the library for the escape. In the library, he didn't have to deal with the judgmental hisses when he walked past somebody or the slander of his mother and father's name on the Prophet's front page or Astoria following him around like a lost puppy dog, desperately trying to stake her claim on him. In the library, he could get lost in a sea of confused students, all too busy being blithering idiots about their schoolwork to notice him.

That being said, he was looking forward to the holidays. Ah, that sacred time when 90% of the students would stop plaguing him about his father's conviction or why his mother got away with just a month of Azkaban time and parole or how in the world he was allowed to get away with no prison time. It was peace and quiet. The unfortunate thing was that the peace and quiet also meant peace and quiet from everyone, including Blaise(the first friend of his who had stayed, even when the Malfoy name lost its esteem), Theo(Slytherin's resident jokester who managed to lighten his mood at his darkest hours), and Pansy(basically his sister. He'd grown up with her.) 

It was just his luck that the only person in the library that day was Granger.

So it was one December 23rd when both of their paths converged.

Hermione was reading a book, like always. She was perusing the more neglected shelves at the back when she had found an old leather bound book, The Comprehensive History of Magical Landmarks. Taking it out from its spot, she made her way to a table, setting the hefty book down with a small thud. She didn't know how long she was reading, but by the time she was interrupted, she was on the very last page.

"Granger?" a familiar velvety tenor murmured from behind her. Her head whipped back to see the last person she was expecting to talk to her. Tall muscular stance, blond hair no longer slicked back, rather hanging gloriously tussled over his forehead, and piercing silvery eyes, it was the great bouncing ferret himself.

"Malfoy," she greeted icily, wary of anything he might try with her. "What might you be doing here?" He didn't mock her or try and bring her down.

"I was wondering whether you might be done with that book yet."

"As a matter of fact, I am."

"May I have it?" She handed it to him, careful not to touch him, as if his prejudice might be contagious.

He was about ready to walk away when a curious expression crossed his face. "Granger?"

"What do you want now?" she groused, turning her head to look behind her chair where he stood. She rose, standing at least a half foot shorter than him, but still intimidating with a fierce scowl and arms crossed over her chest defensively. Her defenses were up and he could see her fingers at the ready, itching for her wand in case she was provoked. Most everyone had changed due to the war, but her especially. Being tortured, it was not something that could be forgotten by her, especially when her tormentor's nephew was standing before her with a smirk on his face and somehow, a soft look in his gray eyes.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Granger," he mumbled softly. He could see her brown eyes melt the smallest bit and her glower turn into a frown. 

"I wasn't aware I needed your assurance, Malfoy," she drawled sardonically. 

"Please, can you just listen? For a moment?"

"Alright," she agreed, sighing complacently. "Go on."

"I'm sorry," he said abruptly. "for everything. All these years, I've treated you like rubbish for no apparent reason. I guess..." he ran a hand through his smooth platinum hair as he thought. "All my life, I've been trained to follow my father's footsteps and that included being a blood supremacist and quite frankly, a bloody prat. I'm trying to change, I swear. I've promised myself never to use... that word again. I'm sorry, really. You didn't deserve any of it. I'm not asking you to forgive me, I know how I treated you three was unforgivable, but I'm just...just telling you."

After his spiel, he took the book and started to walk to an empty table.

"Wait," she called to him, hand going up to beckon him back to her. She was too forgiving to hold a grudge, especially when this boy had come to her and poured his heart out, but too prideful to say anything of consequence back. "I didn't know you were interested in history." She gestured for him to sit down.

"I read almost as much as you do," he remarked dryly, taking a seat across from her. She laughed softly, the smile going all the way up to the corners of her coffee colored eyes. He gave her a blinding smile back.

It was the start of something beautiful.


	2. Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Events in potions, wine with the girls, and a heart to heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See, I don't like to Ron bash, but I sort of had to. I'm sorry! I actually love Ron!

Months later...

"Students, settle down!" Professor Slughorn bellowed, waving his hand to call attention with himself. Staring expectantly at the teacher, the room hushed. It was the last class before exams and everyone was eager to see what he had planned for it. 

Harry and Ron were already packing to head to the Burrow for summer and start their Auror training in the fall. Hermione had been offered the position of Transfiguration teacher for the new school year by Headmistress McGonagall, subsequently becoming head of Gryffindor house. Draco was offered DADA professor because of his outstanding performance and head of Slytherin. 

She thought she'd work at Hogwarts and start up SPEW again, this time as a club for any and all interested parties at Hogwarts and otherwise, a real organization that offered elves a choice about their paid and humane livelihood, whether it be in servitude of humans that would treat them fairly or being free. She also didn't have the heart to spend her first normal summer in 8 years without her parents.

"First, you'll be getting work partners for the semester. You'll be expected to do all your work for this class with them. McGonagall thinks it'll promote house unity and strengthen ties between Hogwarts students. They'll be chosen by the sorting hat and your partner will be the optimal partner for academic and emotional growth." He pulled the brown and torn hat from behind his desk.

"I reckon we'll get paired together," Ron yakked from behind her, his arm around her waist. "You help me grow plenty academically." Hermione had to suppress the urge to roll her eyes. She basically did his homework for him!

"First off, Abbot, Hannah." The lanky blonde girl strode nervously to the sorting hat, taking her place on the stool. After a moment of deliberation, the hat made a conclusion.

"Neville Longbottom!" The admittedly inept yet charming boy walked over to her, taking their place at a nearby table.

Some time passed as Seamus was sorted with Dean and Luna was sorted with Blaise Zabini.

"Granger, Hermione!" Slughorn announced, smiling at the young war heroine. She felt as if she was back in first year, puffing her chest out and acting as if she had not a care in the world, although she was praying that she'd get sorted into the same house as the affable and humble Harry Potter, or perhaps the seemingly astute Padma Patil.

The hat was placed gingerly and and it just barely grazed the crown of her head before it bellowed loudly, "Draco Malfoy!" And suddenly, the classroom froze. How had Hermione Granger, the resident good girl, best friend to Harry Potter himself and dating Ron Weasley, how could she have been paired with a former Death Eater?

The most enraged of all was Ron, face turning red as cherries and spluttering, "Wha- How? B-but, he's a Death Eater!" You see, Hermione hadn't exactly revealed her newfound bond with the Slytherin, confessing to him that she suspected that Ron would not react well. Obviously, he proved her suspicions right. 

The bushy tressed brunette gave him a small smile and wave, walking over to his table and setting her books down. He whispered something to her, making her laugh. Her smile was twice as wide as it had ever been with Ronald. The red head in question watched this exchange, fuming at their effortless rapport. Since when was his Hermione on good terms with the bloody ferret?

There were more sortings, Ginny and Harry getting paired together, the two of them flirting at each other the entire time, Pansy Parkinson(whom Hermione and Ginny had found quite pleasant for a night of salacious and humiliating girl-talk over a bottle of smuggled wine.) sorted with Theodore Nott, and Ron getting sorted with Astoria Greengrass who looked over at Draco with a longing smile as Draco tried his level best not to gag.

"You all must be wondering what we are doing today," Professor Slughorn addressed, gesturing to a covered cauldron perched on his worktable. "In the last two years, I've introduced you all to what Amortentia is. Can anyone refresh the class?" Hermione's hand shot up, as did Draco's(though his hand came up leisurely). 

"Mr. Malfoy?" he called, pointing to his arm poised in the air.

"Amortentia is the most powerful love potion, sir. Its smell is whatever you find most pleasant or appeasing. It causes powerful infatuation and sometimes, the effects can last for years," Hermione gave him a playful glare from her seat beside him, only slightly annoyed that she wasn't allowed to answer.

"Correct, Mr. Malfoy. 5 points to Slytherin," he rewarded with a nod of his head. "Now if I'm correct, for most of you, its been at least a year since you've last encountered this potion. I'm curious to see whether any of you can tell me: Can the smells change when time passes?" Again, Hermione and Draco's hands went in the air.

"Ms. Granger?"

"Yes. Just as time changes what you love, the scent of Amortentia does too."

"Excellent, Ms. Granger! 10 points to Gryffindor!" She made it a point to look at Draco very purposefully, but grinning at him in the process. Draco was a little amazed, bloody hell, he was proud! It was something not in any textbooks, only found in the Restricted Section!

"Now, you will be learning how to brew Amortentia." An excited buzz fell over the room and she saw quite a couple people look over at other people in the room with interest before shaking any deceitful thoughts out of their heads. "And I must remind you, this is for academic purposes only! Please, I must beseech you to never use this on somebody unless you are properly certified like Mr. and Ms. Weasley's brothers', sorry,- brother's joke shop." 

"The potion stock room will be freely available to you. Once you are done, promptly cover your pots. The aroma of the potion might entice you to drink it and you would be under an infatuation with your partner that is so deep that we'd have to acquire a rare Hate potion to neutralize it or wait anywhere from days to years for it to wear off. You will get to smell it under my supervision when I come around to check your potions. You have just under 2 hours, starting now!" 

Hermione and Draco worked together efficiently. Doing things with Draco never felt like a task or an undertaking. It was as if they were two pieces of the same puzzle. They clicked, working like a well oiled machine, keeping up a superb work ethic and an enjoyable banter.

Soon enough, they were the first ones done, scraping by with 5 minutes left. It was a laborious task, but they had successfully brewed the love potion.

"Your time is up!" Slughorn announced. He first walked to Ron and Astoria's table, both of them arguing so bitterly during this first class that the potion wasn't a translucent and dreamy mother of pearl sheen with pleasant spirals wafting out and gentle ripples through the surface, it was a noxious green, as still as swamp water. "Well, what a shame," he murmured, throwing the virulent mixture into the rubbish bin. "Perhaps if you argued less and followed instructions to the T, you might find that the art of potions is easier than you think. 10 points from each of your houses."

With a murderous glare, Ron muttered, "Hermione wouldn't have messed up like you did" at the same time that Astoria jibed, "Draco's much smarter than you."

Ginny and Harry's was pleasant, though not quite perfect. The color was a tad darker than it should've been and the steam spirals were a little intense. Slughorn smiled at his other star student. "For a beginner, this is satisfactory. I'd add more ground nacre shell and less next time and give it a quarter turn more." He added the ingredient in, giving it 3 clockwise turns."Very good work, 20 points to Gryffindor each." 

"As a bit of fun, I'll let you all smell your potions. How about you, Ms. Weasley?"

The bold athletic red head gave the potion a deep sniff. "I smell..." she pondered. "Fresh broom polish... new clothes... and... and Harry's hair," she admitted, flashing him a flirtatious smile and a wink. Harry went on to list what he smelled, though his wasn't much different from last time, finally being able to identify that flowery smell as the scent of Ginny's perfume.

It was finally their turn.

"Why, Ms. Granger and Mr. Malfoy, this potion is nearly perfect! It's beyond what a lot of competent wizards have achieved! A potion of this caliber by two young wizards such as yourself is exemplary! The effects of this would last at least a year! 50 points to both of your houses! Now, go on, Miss Granger, take a whiff." 

Hermione could instantly make out spearmint, fresh parchment, and freshly mowed grass. But there was something else...a mixed scent, green appley with undertones of an earthy cologne. It was a familiar scent, one she knew from hours of conversation at the library or outside in the snowy hills of Hogsmeade and sipping cocoa, talking about anything and everything near the frost bitten Black Lake, one she knew from being held as she wracked with anguished cries because Ron had been resentful of her being down about her parents again, assuring her that there was nothing wrong with her for still being woebegone about not being able to restore their memories. There was no trace of the other scent she had smelled 2 years ago, the stuffy and piney scent that had turned out to be Ron's hair.

"I smell... spearmint, freshly mowed grass, and... parchment, sir," she lied. "Same as last time."

"But Ms. Granger, I recall that there was something else, something unknown. Is that still there?"

"No, sir," she admitted. "But there's something else." The older man raised an eyebrow, briefly looking to the taller blond beside her and how as seconds passed, they seemed to be inching closer to each other.

"Interesting," he murmured. "Now, what about you, Mr. Malfoy?"

For Draco, it was easy to discern. So easy that it scared him. "Green apples, vanilla...oranges and cinnamon," he disclosed honestly, eyes flitting across the room to see Weasel flash a dozen shades of red and purple. Hermione seemed too lost in her own thoughts, not realizing the weight of his words. 

Draco was allayed, but dismayed. Half of him was glad that Hermione hadn't caught the hint and the other half disappointed that she hadn't. Some part of him, some facet of his soul was holding on to the quixotic shred of hope that she might reciprocate the ardor he felt for her. It was unrealistic. How could a person as fundamentally good as Hermione, a bloody war hero, be with him, a former Death Eater who had the damned mark to prove it? Now that he was pondering it, how had she managed to forgive his boorish and downright nefarious behavior? No, he wasn't good enough for her.

Slughorn gave them both high praise on their achievement, inviting them both to a Slug Club dinner on Friday and moved on, his words not quite registering fully in the two students' minds.

________________

Hermione paced outside the Room of Requirement anxiously when she heard footsteps of two girls from behind her. She turned to see her current two favorite people in the world, the flaming red head holding a bottle of wine in each hand and the raven haired Slytherin holding cups. 

"Heard something was eating you," Pansy started, grinning.

"So here we are. We have red and white." Ginny finished for her. 

"Thank you two so much for coming. I just really need to let loose," Hermione sighed, rubbing her temples. 

"What are we waiting for? Let's go in!" Ginny demanded impatiently, though all in good nature. Hermione thought as hard as she could, I need a place to relax. I need a place to relax. The door rumbled open to reveal literally the most perfect place Hermione could've asked for.

Inside, there was a huge gold chartreuse mattress on the floor with red and green throw pillows surrounding the area. With thick and downy quilts and 3 pairs of pajamas folded neatly on a chair, it was the perfect place to chill with her best mates. 

After changing, the three best friends settled into the covers, each of them pouring themselves a generous glass of wine. 

"So, what's up?" Ginny asked the brunette, an eager hunger for gossip in her eyes. 

"Yeah, why'd you invite us here?" Pansy inquired, taking a drink out of her glass. 

Hermione bit her lip before confessing, "It's about potions today." Ginny groaned, taking a long sip of her red wine.

"Hermione, I love you, but I swear if you called us here to talk about homework-"

"No, that's not it. About the Amortentia and... what I smelled."

"I thought you said that nothing changed?" queried Ginny casually.

Pansy rolled her eyes, pushing Ginny over lightly, but all in good fun. "She literally said that there was something else. Do you even listen in class or just make mooneys at Harry all of class?" The two girls laughed, but Ginny glowered at Pansy.

Ginny snorted. "At least I make something instead of passing off blue sludge as a potion."

"Maybe we should let Hermione talk now," Pansy chided. 

"Yeah, you're right for once," Ginny agreed. "Go on, 'Mione."

"A scent did change and... it's not what I expected. Definitely not Ron."

"Ooh, does Hermione have a forbidden paramour?" Ginny giggled, exchanging a "scandalized" look with Pansy.

"Gin, I'm dating your brother. Why are you so blithesome about this?" Ginny brushed it off, waving a hand dismissively.

"He's a right prat anyways and I don't get what you see in him. Plus, you're my best friend and basically my sister. If you aren't happy, it doesn't matter who it is."

"Aww, who knew that Gin could be so sappy?" Pansy teased, nudging the Gryffindor good naturedly.

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me," she retorted, nudging the Slytherin back.

"Anyways," Hermione exhaled. "It wasn't Ron I smelled, but it was someone else."

"Do tell, Hermione?" Pansy urged, grinning.

"It was- It was... Draco," she mumbled, looking down and blushing, utterly mortified. She had been dating Ron for almost a year, there must've been something wrong with their potion! How could she not be attracted to him?

"Draco?" Pansy grinned, taking a long and deliberating sip. "Frankly, Hermione, I don't know what to tell you, but I'm not surprised."

"Neither am I," Ginny chimed in. "It was inevitable, really. I don't know him as well as Pansy, but from what she tells me, you two are practically made for each other."

"How so?" Hermione asked, though deep in her heart, she knew that she knew how. 

"Merlin's most baggy Y fronts, do I really need to list it out?" Pansy groaned. "Besides the fact that you two look incomparably hot together, you're both hopeless nerds and bookworms, the smartest people I know, you have an easy banter, SO MUCH chemistry, you'd always keep the other on their toes, you're both good at reading emotions-"

"Alright, okay, I get it!" Hermione interrupted. "But... I love Ron?" she posed it more like a question than anything else. 

"Do you really?" Ginny insinuated. "Because from what I've heard, he's not treating you too well."

"No, that's not true!" she denied. "He's just having a hard time with school is all. He doesn't mean to hurt me."

Pansy snorted, letting out a hollow and disbelieving laugh. "Do you hear yourself right now? I've seen you cry over that boy more times than one and he doesn't deserve your tears!"

"He just gets cross with me sometimes because I think about my parents too much and I'm not a very good girlfriend at all because of that." Tears stung Hermione's eyes when she recollected all the times that he had belittled her so, claiming that she should 'get over it' and asking why she was so 'hung up over them', many a time making her feel bad for not attending to him enough.

"What a bloody gaslighter," Ginny muttered. "Hermione, listen! If Ron makes you feel anything less than a gorgeous and strong witch who helped bring down Voldemort, you need to leave him. How can anyone not be dismal when they were forced to wipe themselves clean out of their parents' memories just a year ago? It's not healthy at all!"

"Okay, fine," Hermione acquiesced with a shaky breath in. "Out of the possibility that I maybe need to break up with him, why should I force myself to have feelings for Draco?"

"Force yourself? You literally smelled him in Amortentia. I think you already do! You're crushing on him, admit it!" Ginny declared, Pansy nodding in agreement. 

"No! Not at all! Just because he may be so smart and- and his hair is always so, so smooth and just infuriatingly perfect and his smirk is so maddeningly handsome and his silver dove eyes are just so expressive and - bloody hell, I'm crushing on Draco," she realized, clasping a hand to her mouth and groaning. How would she get herself out of this predicament? No matter how many times she had proved herself to be intelligent in dueling, book smarts, magic, and basically everything else, she'd ALWAYS been stupid with love. She just didn't get it. 

"About bloody time," Ginny muttered. "What are you waiting for? Break up with that arse!"

"That arse, meaning your brother?" Hermione quipped humorlessly.

"Yup," Ginny said, popping the 'p'.

"But I'm not even sure if Draco reciprocates," Hermione vacillated. 

"Oh, TRUST ME he does," Pansy refuted. "I've known him since we were children and I know him like my own mind."

"But-"

"Uh-uh-uh! I don't want to hear another word!" Pansy interjected. "Tomorrow, you're going to talk to Draco because both of you will be happy if you do."

________________________

The sun was just starting to rise when Draco was out by the Black Lake to contemplate his life choices, mostly his obvious feelings for a certain Gryffindor. Blaise had called it brooding, but that was rubbish. He was thinking, not brooding!

His plans were foiled when he heard a twig snap from behind him. He whipped his head around to see the very person he had been avoiding and thinking about since Potions the day before.

"I- Draco," she whispered, eyes wide as a deer in headlights. "I'm sorry if I disturbed you. I was just coming out here to think and-"

"It's alright," he drawled tiredly, brushing his hand in the air dismissively. It was about time they talk anyways. "You wanna sit?"

She took a seat beside him on the grass, staring up at the brilliant rising sun, all bursting oranges and reds and yellows and pinks in front of her, eyes wide with awe and mesmerization. She looked glorious in the early morning light, warm late May breeze fluttering their hair.

"The sunset is just so exquisite, don't you think?" she asked, eyes starry and mouth agape. She'd seen the sun rise over Gryffindor tower many a time, but the view on Black Lake was incomparable, the golden rays of light reflecting off the dark waters, penetrating the black water with light. After that fateful day at the library, she'd observed that sometimes, but only if you beheld it when the sun was in the perfect position, the gray murky waters would change as if someone had put a charm on it and it would transform into a brilliant stunning silver, almost the exact shining color of Draco's eyes, the waves of water glimmering and rippling like the emotions that were shown so expressively in his eyes when he talked. That was when she'd really started to love the view there.

It was so basic and Draco had previously thought it was beneath him to say something like this, but he kept his eyes on her(it was rather hard to take them off) and commented adoringly, "Beautiful." She looked at him raising an eyebrow, thankful for the beating heat that might conceal the red that spread through her cheeks at his comment.

"Hermione, I'm going to be completely honest with you," Draco began, running a hand through his platinum tresses. "I don't think we can be friends."

Hermione's eyebrows shot straight up, hurt flashing through her eyes and lips turning downwards into an indignant frown. "And why not?"

"I can't explain, it's just-"

"Save your pride and don't talk to the 'filthy mudblood', is that it?" she snapped, standing up and crossing her arms, anger flaring like flames in her eyes.

"Hermione, you know that-"

"Oh really, Draco? What do I know? Do tell me! Because I don't think I know anything!"

"It isn't anything to do with you," he tried to explain calmly, her raging and hurt face making it extremely hard not to take her in his arms and never let go. 

"It's not you, it's me?" she scoffed, shaking her head. "And here I thought you were past these bloody mind tricks. I did not expect it from you of all people!"

"Me of all people? And what's that supposed to mean?" he demanded angrily, his usually fluid silver eyes hardening. "Is little miss Hermione Granger, beloved by all who ever met her, tired of me? The Death Eater? Is it ruining her perfect reputation in her perfect life with her perfect friends and perfect boyfriend? Am I not perfect enough for you?" He was mocking her, but his words were based in reality, in his deepest fear. He would never be good enough for anybody because of the choices of his father, of himself.

"Oh, come on! What is it with you and making yourself the villain? I've made it perfectly clear that I don't blame you for anything! But of course, Draco Malfoy and his tragical tale of woe!" she spat, taking a step closer to him and rolling his eyes. 

"Making myself the villain? You think I want to be stuck in a family full of pureblood elitists, Hermione? You think I want to cut off ties with you?"

"Well then, why the bloody hell are you doing it?!" she yelled at him, stomping her foot in sheer frustration. Hot tears burned at her eyes.

"Because I love you, alright?!" he bellowed in her face, tired of all this mind warping and hiding from her, one of the only people who clicked with him, someone kindred to his soul. She took a step back, taking a shaky breath in. "I love you and it's-it's not healthy for you. I'm not good enough for you, Hermione. You deserve Weas-Ron. He'll give you the world. If you're with me, you'll have no esteem. You won't get the respect you deserve or the fame or the reputation that used to be attached to my family name. You'll have nothing. With him, he can give you what you deserve. I'm fundamentally bad. You're... you're the epitome of good and-"

"Shut. Up." she interjected. "Really, just stop right there with this stupidity. Do you think that I care about press coverage or my social standing? Do you really think me that shallow?"

"No, but-"

"No, you let me finish, Draco Malfoy. And how can you believe that you're evil? Do you think I'd be your friend if I thought you were evil? No, Draco, you are good. You are just as good as he is, the difference is that you didn't have a choice. You grew up only knowing one path and who can blame you for taking the only option available? I certainly don't, because the fact of the matter is that I love you too! I wouldn't love you if you weren't a good person! The very fact that you're standing here telling me that I deserve better is proof! You think about other people, you're empathetic at your core, Draco! You understand me better than anyone and who cares if you can't give me 'esteem'? I have you, that's enough!" she claimed, placing a soft hand on his heart, him wrapping his fingers around her hand gently. 

"But... what if you change your mind?" he gulped, looking down at her morosely.

"Then feel free to assume I'm under the Imperius Curse, because I will never leave you if you don't give me a reason to," she promised, wrapping him up in a hug. "I swear." He accepted the embrace, noting the orangey cinnamon scent that he had smelled in the Amortentia for the thousandth time. He'd never tire of that scent, not in an eternity. 

Slowly, hesitantly, she captured his lips in hers, giving him a burning and passionate kiss filled with the longing of so many months. He reciprocated, caressing her olive skinned face with his muscular hand, pulling her in closer. After they were forced to pull apart by the pesky need of oxygen, Hermione stepped away, smiling shyly and lovestruck by the kiss, which was unlike any she had ever experienced. 

"If you recall, there's something I have to take care of first," she explained, referring to her future ex-boyfriend, Ronald Weasley.

"I'll be waiting for you." She could tell he meant it in more ways than one.

"Always?" she confirmed, letting go of his hands and backing away with a smile.

"And forever."


End file.
